Safeguarding

The Bellerive Safeguarding team

The Bellerive Safeguarding team is comprised of senior members of staff who take the lead in ensuring the safeguarding policy is adhered to and that all staff are trained in all matters relating to our statutory safeguarding duties.

Mrs Jenni Westwood is the Designated Safeguarding lead.

She is supported in the Safeguarding team by Mr Paul Taylor, Mrs Louisa Allerston, Mr Paul McMenamin and Mrs Joanna Walker

Child Protection Policy

With increased numbers of students working from home due to the closure of schools due to Coronavirus, please see below for some guidance to help our families with their emotional help at these challenging times:

Young Minds resources

Please see below for the latest Bellerive Safeguarding newsletters:

Autumn safeguarding update 2019

Summer safeguarding update 2018

Spring Safeguarding update 2018

In today’s ever changing society, there are many factors which can have an impact on our children’s physical and emotional well-being. Below are a range of links which may provide information and advice for parents/carers to help support young people who are dealing with a range of issues:

General advice

Kooth.com – online support for young people

We would like to remind you of the availability of our online service to support the wellbeing and resilience of your students.

Kooth is a web based confidential support service available to young people. Kooth provides a safe and secure means of accessing mental health and wellbeing support designed specifically for young people.

Kooth offers young people the opportunity to have a text-based conversation with a qualified counsellor. Counsellors are available from 12noon to 10pm on weekdays and 6pm to 10 pm at weekends, every day of the year on a drop-in basis. Young people can access regular booked online counselling sessions as needed. Outside counselling hours’ young people can message our team and get support by the next day.

When students register with Kooth they will have support available to them now and in the future. Support can be gained not only through counselling but articles, forums and discussion boards. All content is age appropriate, clinically approved and fully moderated.

To find out more visit www.Kooth.com where young people can register and others can find out more about the service.

You can also view a short video about the service at: https://vimeo.com/318731977/a9f32c87de.

Tackle Child Abuse Campaign

Online Safety

Merseyside Police online safety advice

Think U know

Safer Internet

Some helpful articles can be found by accessing:

Social Media and the law

Facebook privacy settings:

Editing Facebook privacy settings

Self Harm

We’d ask that parents/carers review children and young people’s access to on-line streaming sites including Netflix and other websites. It has come to our attention that some children may be accessing age inappropriate materials. For example, Netflix currently offers a series exploring teenage suicide which is rated 18 and should only be watched by adults. Watching this may well impact on a young person’s well-being especially if they are already low of mood.

We’d ask that parents take appropriate steps to safeguard their children so they are only accessing age appropriate materials. As always, parents should seek advice from their G.P. and school if they are concerned about their child’s emotional well-being and mental health.

The Department of Psychiatry at the University of Oxford has published a guide for parents on coping with their child’s self-harm which is based on their in-depth research with parents.

University of Oxford guidance

Further information: Coping with self harm: a guide for parents and carers (PDF)

Parents guide to support children who are self-harming

Extremism and Radicalisation

Educate against hate provides guidance for parents to protect young people from extremism and radicalisation

Educate against Hate